Coava Coffee has a beautiful coffee bar and a really unique way of making coffee. Those look like regular Chemex coffee brewers, but they use Able laser etched stainless filters instead of the usual paper filters. It produces a much different cup that you just have to experience. More oils, more fines and a complex taste that grows as you finish the cup.

The Chemex is my normal method these days when I'm making more than one cup. I still prefer a single cup pourover if I'm just aiming for the absolute best cup of coffee, but wish it was as fun and beautiful as the Chemex.

I make it into downtown at least once or twice a week (sometimes a lot more than that) and most of those trips involve visiting my company's donwtown office in the USBancorp tower. My good friend Roger and I used to work right across from each other there and almost always take a quick break to grab a cup of coffee or a breakfast taco.

This day, coffee was the choice and we had enough time to sit down and enjoy it there.

Sunday morning I woke up to the sad realization that I had run out of coffee beans. I'm sure it was due to the extra weekend day on Friday that I spent at home with the kids, but either way, that sort of problem wasn't acceptable. I asked my oldest, Caedon if he'd like to come with me to Good Coffee to get some beans and a cup of coffee and he was into it.

We ended up choosing a special edition from Coava to take home and Caedon tried his coffee both with cream and without to see which way he preferred. I'm proud to say that he took it without.

A month or so ago (with the help of my friend Rick) I discovered Good Coffee which is really close to my office in SE Portland on Division. They've got some great coffee for sure, but they also have these great table decor, primarily anchored by Succulents.